The Buzz - 8/27/13 - Sephora+Pantone Color IQ

Have ya'll heard of this?

Sephora has a foundation finder that you can use both in-store and online.

Yeah, so what?

Ok, they have this totally nifty little device that scans your skin, and finds its absolute color... no lighting distortion! 

Then, the computer compares your scan to 110 colors to find the shade that is perfect for you!  After that, it recommends all the foundations that come in your color!  Can you believe it?  No more wrong colors!  No more face swatches!  No more having your foundation look perfect in one light, and hideous in another!

Once you know your color, you can easily shop online.

Otherwise, what if you don't have access to a Sephora?  Well, they made a list of all the foundations that they carry, and you can enter your brand and shade to find another product with the same coloring!  So, it's not-so-awesome for you if you have never ventured away from drugstore brands, but amazingly convenient if you already wear a brand Sephora carries.

Now, there is a way to get around not having used any brand other than drugstore... start Googling!  You can google search for your brand and color, and include the term "dupe".  With a little bit of sleuthing, you should be able to find an upscale version of your current foundation.

So have any of you tried this?  I am planning to try it out very soon; hopefully this weekend.  I can hardly wait to see if it works!

Giveaway! Wet N Wild Silk Finish Lipstick in Breeze

Good afternoon, everyone!

I know that lipstick stashes have been blooming with bright colors this Summer!  But, Autumn is just around the corner, so now what?

I have been reverse-transitioning some of my Autumn colors with Wet n Wild's Silk Finish Lipstick in Breeze.

It is a beautiful, shimmery nude.  It has tones of pink and copper, with enough peach to pull it firmly into neutral territory.  I have been using it to top off my deep plum, raisin, berry and red lipsticks.  It quickly tones down a shade and adds enough shimmer to still say "Summer", but also helps with uniting a makeup look worn from a chilly morning through a hot and humid afternoon.


So what is the point?  The point is, I picked up an extra tube to give away to one lucky reader!

The winner's tube is new and unopened, with the factory seal in place.

Rules, rules, rules:
-Enter using the Rafflecopter entry form at the bottom of this post.  Just "Like" our Facebook page!
-Fake Facebook names (made to enter contests) are not allowed, and will be removed.
-This giveaway is open worldwide.
-If you have won within the past year, please let others have a chance to win!
-If you are under 18, please have your parent's permission to enter.
-The winner will have 1 calendar week to respond to my attempts to contact them.  If I have not received a reply within that week, I will choose another winner through Rafflecopter.

So, that's it!  Good Luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE!  We have a winner, Bianca, and she has claimed her prize!  Congrats, Bianca, and thank you to everyone who entered! 

Review! Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara

I recently picked up a tube of Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara from my local Walgreens for about $3.  I have heard rumblings about it for a few months, and as I am coming to the end of my deluxe trial sizes of my higher-end mascaras, I thought I'd pick some up.

Jordana does not come in any fancy packaging.

It is just the tube in plastic shrink wrap.

The wand is a small spoolie; my favorite!

The first few applications are very globby.  The formula is very creamy, and it likes to stick to itself.  You can comb it out with the spoolie, but you'll have to be patient.

After a week, the formula has become much easier to work with.  It still globs up a little, but it takes far less work to comb it out.

I found that it stayed in place all day without smudging or running, IF my undereye makeup was set with powder.  If I left my concealer creamy, it tended to lift a bit from my lower lashes and smudge.  Keep in mind that my lower lashes are pretty long.  It washes of pretty easily with water, and a bit of almond oil quickly removed everything else. 

Overall, for $3, you really aren't going to go wrong here.  It works just as well as those higher-end mascaras I have been testing, with the exception of it being a bit globby (not clumpy, the globs are not hard, just goopy).  I really like how it adds volume without getting spidery.  You can keep on adding layers, but my lashes are so long that more than one good coat makes me look overdone during the day.

Have you tried Jordana Mascara?  What do you think? 

... Honestly, what are you eating?

We loosely discussed body fat earlier.  

One hallmark of a healthier body is a percentage of body fat that, for women, falls between 18 and 25.  Your mileage may vary depending on your structure, your genetics and your doctor's recommendations. 

Let us say that you do have excess adipose tissue and that you would like to decrease your body fat percentage.

I have found that the best place to start is to find a physical activity that you love- odds are that your brain will begin the shift to wanting to eat to fuels the body cleaner and meaner of its own accord.

The next best place to start is in the kitchen.

In all of the diet fads and sound nutritional advice alike, there is one common element always addressed:  The Calorie.

We remember from high school of that a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a gram of water 1 degree Celsius.  Pretty handy information in the lab, but what does it translate to when you are about to eat the Snickers Bar?  It means that you need a rudimentary understanding of what is going on there.

A Calorie in the nutritional sense is actually 1,000 calories. It is most correctly described as a kilogram Calorie, or kCal for short.  That "240 Calorie" Snickers is actually 240,000 calories- or, less terrifyingly, 240 kCals.  Call it a kCal to be accurate or call it a "Calorie" to be colloquial, but know that above all else, it is a unit of measure that we use to describe our food in terms of energy.  The energy I write of is that mojo that keeps you going, the fuel in your tank.  You need this energy to live, you need more to thrive.  From watching the Golden Girls marathon to running a marathon, your body from brain to toe has Caloric requirements.

In general, the Recommended Dietary Allowance is 2,000 or 2,500 daily, as seen on most food labels.  The Institute of Medicine recommends that women with an weight of 126 lbs. and a height of 5 feet and 3 inches and over the age of 18 need 2,400 kCal daily.   Relative scales for height and weight are available on-line.  I recommend using the Mayo Clinic's free on-line calculator to get a better estimate of what you need as an individual and then build up your nutritional strategy for Calories from there. 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598

Once you know how many calories you should be taking in based on your biometrics and basic activities, what do you need to do?  You need to sort out how many you are taking in on a daily basis. Really.  Pay attention to your habits- there is no other way to begin changing them. 

Even though I only do it as the occasional check-in; I will be the last person to argue that counting your calories is a pointless exercise.  The more you learn about nourishing your body, and the more you honestly nourish your body-  that the less you may come to count calories.  For now, it all starts with awareness.

Log those Calories down!  It has been found in multiple studies that the simple act of monitoring your caloric intake alone is an easy method to losing excess fat.  Use your computer, use an app, write in in calligraphy on parchment- pay attention and write it down.  It is an eye opening experience as to how much you are actually taking in to your body.  It also creates a bit of irony called the Mindfulness Paradox in that while you are logging your food just to get an idea of what you are normally eating, you will make better choices almost immediately.

The action plan here is simple:  For the next two weeks, write it down.  Calories only:

1. 1. Write them down
      1. Try MyFitnessPal- it is one of the most comprehensive apps for food and exercise logging, allows you to shift your goals, and is free
   2. Be Honest.  Otherwise, why bother?  It's not Show-and-Tell, it's illumination
   3. Read the Label- Serving size and calories only. 
   4. Get and use a kitchen scale and measuring cups for servings- Pasta serving sizes are almost always a shocker.

After the two weeks, compare your recommended daily Caloric requirement and your actual Caloric consumption.  Know what is going on. 

Now that we know enough about basic calorie counting to be dangerous- we will chill out and mull it over while sipping a smoothie.

Food for Thought:

Once you understand how many calories you are taking in normally, even given the Mindfulness Paradox, you can begin to look at where the excess or even the deficit may be.  You can begin examining your food choices in terms of Caloric density and then nutrient density.  A small handful of Lay's Potato chips versus two handfuls of red pepper slices with hummus- Calorie-wise they are about the same, nutrient wise they are world's apart. 

While you are comparing your Caloric recommendation and Caloric intake, and takign a walk to clear your head, ask yourself what small changes you can begin to make today.

Beauty from the Inside Out

Eat less.  Move more.  

Got it.

It's calories in versus calories out.  A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.  And 3,500 of them amount to a pound of fat.

I hear you, i think.

You should do cardio five times a week for about 30 minutes at moderate intensity...

We know this.  We know this because we grew up female in the United States.  We know those wonderful numbers and the basic math that makes it all work out on paper.  We have been force-fed these numbers from a young age and we can regurgitate them with the ease of a bulimic Heather in 1987.

We have been given so much information... but so little guidance about what it all means, what it can do for us, and how to work it into our lives.  We have  been given this information and misinformation for the wrong reason.  That reason being that we are trying to fix everything from the outside in. 

Flip that thought around and let's take a look at healing ourselves from the inside out.

Some of you reading this likely have the thought in your head to get skinny.  We will begin there as long as you allow me to change that thought to get healthier.  

Although it cannot be denied that lower amount of body fat (between 20-25% in females) is associated with good health, body fat alone is not an indicator of general healthiness.  Excess subcutaneous body fat (that fat that is easily seen) can be linked to a number of conditions... as can a deficit of subcutaneous body fat.  There is also the more recently popularized definition of the "skinny fat" person (rather, the metabolically obese normal weight person- MONWP)- wherein a person may appear thin, but they have excess visceral fat (that fat which is around the organs)- which is just as, if not more, unhealthy.  

How someone goes about maintaining a healthy-for-them body fat percentage is highly individual.  Some do it with exercise alone.  Some by diet alone.   Some are blessed genetically (and cursed by the rest of us).  Most do it by a combination that breaks down into 10% exercise, 80% diet, 10% genetics.

Where am I going with this?

Where I am going is forward from fads that leave you sick, tired, with sallow skin and brittle hair and hating life.   I want to share a basic understanding of what it takes to have a simple, healthy lifestyle.   One that is a series of simple steps that will not only move your body to a healthier size, but will have the added benefits of de-stressing parts of your life, clearing your mind (and your skin), and leave you feeling more energetic and ready to take on the crowds at a Sephora sale.

No quick fixes.

And no excuses.

Beauty stems from health.  Health stems from honesty.

Let us get honest....

Review - Mosha Katani Cosmetics - Kohl Eyeliner Pigment Collection

I'm a total fangirl of Mosha Katani Cosmetics.  I have all of her kohls, and TWO tubes of sealer. 

Mosha's kohls completely transformed how I apply my makeup.  Even going back a year, I can see the transformation from a hard rimmed eye to a soft smoky eye; and the difference it makes is astounding.  Staying in eye-pencil-land really landed me in the biggest mistake women make with their makeup, which is (in my opinion) hard-rimmed eyes.

Using kohls around the eye forces you build your color.  Being forced to build your color shows you all the different looks you can get from "layer one" to "layer ok-I'm-done-now".  Seeing all those different stages encourages you to play around with the look.

Additionally, one of the big mistakes I see with eyeliner is ladies stop the color before they reach the tips of their lower lashes.  If you smudge your lower lid color to where the tips of your lower lashes end, it makes your eyes look much bigger.  Being able to control that color because it is an eyeliner pigment rather than an eyeliner pencil means that you can gently dip your toes into this new territory by gently shading the area while you get used to the idea.  As you become more confident in this new technique, you can darken the shading with ease.

The first color I bought was black.  This black is the color of charcoal; real charcoal, not those charcoal briquettes.  Sooty, rich, grab-on color awaited me in that little package; and I have been hooked ever since.

In recent months, Mosha has added some new colors to her line.  I thought it would be a good time to show you all of them!  Here we go!

Black Sea - True, charcoal black.  This is the black that is rock-star glam.  One layer is easy to wear for daytime, and you can layer to your heart's content for a smoking-hot night time look.  When you get it wet, it goes jet black.

Dream G-Ni - A cool, ashy grey.  This grey darkens when wet, and then lightens again when dry.  It gives a unique look when used to both line the waterline and darken the lash base.  I also love this as a crease color, as it blends smoothly and doesn't go chalky.

Kleopatra - She is the chameleon.  A navy blue in the pot, Kleo goes catty as an inky blue-black in swatches.  On the eye, she leans back towards navy.  This is not a bright blue, and is not obviously navy.  I love this color because the blue makes my eyes look whiter without looking like I have on blue eyeliner.

Persian Queen -This rich, warm brown turns a dark brown when wet.  I like to use this on my waterline when wearing nude eyeshadows.  It darkens the line without moving towards black or grey.  This gets heavy usage with all of my nude palettes.  It also works well as an eyeshadow.

Pharaohs - Pharaohs is a cross between Black Sea and Dream G-Ni.  It is a dark ash, like pencil lead without any shimmer.  If you are scared of black, go with Pharaohs.  It is nearly impossible to apply too much and end up with eye makeup that careened into the dramatic.  Otherwise, this shade is wonderful for smoking out the inner part of the eye, and then finishing the outer part of the eye with Black Sea for a lovely mulio-dimensional smoky eye.

Princess - Ahhhh, the workhorse.  Princess is wonderful for use on the waterline to brighten up your eyes.  If you usually skip eyeshadow, you can still use Princess to help get rid of the red tones on the waterline.  It'll make your eyes look brighter, whiter, and bigger.  Princess also works as a highlighter at the tear duct and at the brow bone.  I've even used it to set my under-eye concealer as a brightening powder.  Princess does not darken when wet. 

 To apply, you can use an angled brush, or a smudger brush.  Just apply a little bit at a time and go slowly while you are learning.  Back away from your mirror often to check the affect.  What looks sheer up close often looks a lot darker as you back away.

I find that the kohl stays in place for most of the day.  It does tend to start fading from the waterline after a few hours, but everywhere else remains as initially applied.  On me, the waterline fades uniformly, so I don't worry about touch-ups.  If you prefer to touch up your makeup, the containers are small and transportable.

The only exception to the above paragraph concerns Princess.  Princess is like a concealer for the waterline, so when it fades, I do like to touch it up.  I can go about 3 hours without a touch-up; and when I do touch it up, it hasn't faded enough to allow redness through, so it is preventative maintenance.

Have you tried Mosha Katani's Kohls?  What do you think of them?

Introducing our new Fitness Guru!

Hello there!  I told ya'll on Wednesday that we would be introducing our new fitness expert, so meet Tracy!


Born and raised in the Southern Wilds, I came by my love of exercise naturally. That is, I had nothing but brothers and boy cousins- all of them bigger and stronger than me.

I left home for college in the Midwest, and the Freshman 15 were kept at bay with Intramural sports. Then came the desk job and the Freshman 15 (okay... 30) caught up with me. Seems you should not eat like an athlete if you are not training like one.

Rather than opting into a size 18, I opted for some fresh air and returned to my roots and got back to the gym, then the dance studio, then the dojo...

Flash forward a decade and here we are- teaching boxing and kick boxing, competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu and as a Premier Highland Dancer, and shaking my groove thang with the occasional Belly Dance class.

I learned that it is not enough to move your body, it is also important to fuel it with the best possible foods. And the simpler you keep it, the better. You have to start somewhere. Start here-

Tracy H.

B.A. Webster University
Certified Personal Trainer- WITS, ACE, NASM
200 Hour RYT (Aug. 2014)
Member British Association of Teachers of Dancing ( Sept. 2013)
Likes fighting with boys. A lot.

Update Post - What we're up to, and where we're going.

Hello there!  My one-year anniversary just slipped quietly by on August 10th.  I've been working on some more reviews, and also exploring exactly where I want to take Sugarpot. 

First, my objective has been morphing into a greater idea of beauty.  I want to explore not only beauty enhancements through cosmetics, but also beauty enhancements through a healthier lifestyle. 

You may have noticed that I look a bit different today than I did a year ago.  A year ago, I was about 25 pounds heavier, and was only losing weight through calorie deficiencies.  Meaning, I was eating less, but not working out.  After a few months of photographing myself every day, I started to become very aware of how I had to photograph myself to avoid looking overweight on camera.  I came to the conclusion that the only way to actually avoid it was to change it.

So, I joined a gym.

And, I didn't go.

After another month or two, I finally got the determination to make myself go, and I've been working out ever since.  I was doing a little bit of cardio and a little bit of weight training.

I got more serious about it, and learned how to jog.

I got more serious about it, and started a program specifically to lift heavy weight.

I've slowed down on the weight loss for a few months now, but I continue to slowly lose fat and gain some muscle.  That means I'm getting smaller, even though the scale stays the same.

I am a work in progress.  I hope by this year's end I will have met my goal of being back to my pre-pregnancy size, and a year from now I hope to be at my goal.  This is not a race.  Any positive health changes take time to implement and form to habit.

With that in mind, I think you'll see why I am introducing a new faucet to Sugarpot.  Coming soon, we will have a regular health feature.  These posts will be about working out, eating a healthy diet, learning about calories and nutrients, fostering an active lifestyle, and other topics geared towards showing you how easy it can be to change yourself into a healthier version of you.  We hope to have two of these posts per month. 

To take on this task, I have enlisted the help of a longtime friend.  Her bio will be coming soon!  I am not an expert in this area, and it makes sense to take Sugarpot from "me" to "we" to get the best information possible to you. 

Additionally, when I come across other tidbits of helpful information (such as a healthy recipe, or super-cute workout clothes), I'll be interjecting those posts.

Second, the makeup reviews are going to slow down just a bit.  I plan to have at least one makeup or skincare review per week, but I want to focus more on quality than quantity.  The current schedule has been to post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  The new schedule has not been set, but I'll let you know when it is ready to roll. 

Third, I hope to move Sugarpot to its own domain within the next year.  That move is going to take a lot of time, so I will be devoting a lot of unseen time to that endeavor.  I'll keep ya'll updated on how that is going, and we won't leave without you!

Fourth, and finally, I want to keep the guests posts going.  I love seeing those, and my statistic counts show that ya'll do, too.  If you have an idea for a post - whether beauty, cosmetics, hair, nails, or fashion - send us an email and let's collaborate!

Review! Boots No.7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion

I recently picked up a bottle of Boots No.7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion.  At Target, you can get it for $13 for 1 oz.  This container is huge.  It is also made of heavy glass and has a pump (yay, sanitary!), so the packaging feels very luxurious.

Here it is swatched out on my hand; dot, swath, and blended:

The whole reason I bought this is because I heard it was a dupe for Benefit's High Beam.  High Beam is $26 for .45 oz.  I have several minis of High Beam, which I bought specifically because I didn't want to shell out that much money for such a small bottle of glowy lotion.  I reviewed it here.

So, are they dupes?

Well.

No, I don't think they are exact dupes.  But, they are really, really close.  I expect dupes to be identical, so one cannot tell the difference of one from the other.  Benefit is on the right, Boots is on the left.

Boots High Lights is more lavender, thicker upon pumping out of the container, then becomes much less viscous (it turns liquidy) when you start to spread it around, and it sheers out very quickly.

Benefit's High Beam is much more pink, thin upon brushing it on the skin, quickly becomes more viscous (thicker) as you spread it around, and takes longer to sheer out.

Here, you can still see that Benefit is pink, while Boots is lavender.

Once blended in, they are nearly identical.  However, Boots is a a tiny bit more prominent than Benefit.  This picture is before I blended them out fully.  There was no difference in the photo once they were fully blended, so I did not include that.

So, are they dupes?  I say no, because they are slightly different colors, and they apply differently.  They are very, very close, though.  They are close enough that the price can be the deciding factor for me.  I really scrutinize the product to see how they differ; I doubt any casual observer would be able to tell the difference once they are blended out.

Overall, I would choose Boots over Benefit because of the sanitary pump, and because of the much lower price point.

Review! Holika Holika Praha Blossom Skin

I received a sample of Holika Holika Praha Blossom Skin with a purchase from PrettyandCute.com.

Pretty and Cute's website says:
Holika Holika Praha Blossom Skin is a toner that contains sake filtrate, which acts as a natural astringent. With the help of various plant and flower extracts, this toner restores moisture in the skin and helps retain it. Natural anti-bacterial plant properties help control acne trouble and pores size without making skin feel tight. Brightening ingredients even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of scars and dark spots for clearer and brighter complexion.

The sample I received was enough for three uses.  Because of that, I can't attest to the effectiveness as a brightener.

As a toner, this one performs nicely.  It does have that alcohol twinge to it when applied, but it did not burn my skin.  It does have a very light floral scent, but you really have to try to detect it, because the alcohol burns most of the scent away before it reached my face.  The alcohol scent was not overwhelming, and I thought that it was less strong than any drugstore brand I have tried.

The cotton ball did come away from my face discolored, so it was effective at cleaning my (makeup free) face.  I did not have any breakouts when using this, nor did I have any blemishes that needed clearing.  It did not leave my skin feeling tight, like toners that over-dry the skin do.  I liked that, because I usually feel that toners tend to make my face more oily because of that over-drying tendency.  I also thought that this one left my skin feeling clean, and not like I had a filmy layer of residue on it, so I didn't feel the need to rinse my face with water after using it.

Quite frankly, I don't usually use toners.  I purchase them every now and again, but I never use them for very long.  I would not re-purchase this soon, simply because toners are not a part of my usual routine.  If you like toners, though, I would tell you that I think this one is a nice one.

Review! Urban Decay Naked2

Just so my Naked palette wouldn't feel lonely, I bought Urban Decay's Naked 2 to go along with it!

They are quite cozy together in the tin I store them in.  Naked 2 came with a little sample size of Lip Junkie in Naked, and you can see my review of that here.

 Urban Decay says this palette has 12 Taupe and Greige Neutrals.   Greige means grey, by the way.

Um, well, no, it's not taupe and grey.  It's 8 pinks and purples, with one yellow toned cream (Foxy), one golden copper (Half Baked), one cool grey (Pistol), and a solid matte black (Blackout).

It's pretty, to be sure, but the pictures they show on their website don't show how pink this is.

I've seen the comparison between Naked and Naked2 as Naked is warm, while Naked2 is cool.  Well... I don't think so.  Naked is browns, and Naked2 is pink; but both are fairly neutral.  There are a few colors that tilt one way or the other, but overall, neutral.

The matte shades are very nice, although they seem like they are going to be chalky as you start to load your brush.  Once applied, they smooth out perfectly, and blend easily.  The shimmers create a nice sheen, and the glitter shades seem pretty subtle, especially for Urban Decay (who is known for "glitter bomb" eyeshadows).

The case is metal, and snaps closed.  I love the case!  It is very sturdy, and you can leave it loose in your makeup storage and not have to worry about it falling open and ruining the shadows.

To try out this palette, I wore it several times, and each time I tried a somewhat random combination.  I put the first six colors together, then the last six, then every other one starting with the first, and then every other one starting with the second.

For the first look, I used Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, and Snakebite.  (Oh, lordy, the names!)  One thing to remember when using this palette, is that it looks very different close up versus farther away.  In the close-ups, it looks like I have very little eyeshadow on.  In contrast, the full-face view seems much more dramatic.  The lighting is exactly the same for both.

For the next look, I used Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, and Blackout.  This look is darker, but still very soft up close.  I created a false wing by angling the corner up with a clean stop, rather than applying a dark color to create the wing.  I like doing this because it still gives a nice, somewhat sultry look, without going very dark.

Third, I tried every other color, starting with the first pan on the left.  Therefore, I used Foxy, Bootycall, Tease, Suspect, Verve, and Busted.

Finally, I tried using every other color, starting with the second from the left.  I used Half Baked, Chopper, Snake Bite, Pistol, YDK, and Blackout.  The pictures for this one are not here, because my experiment was unsuccessful in the application order I chose.  Had I used just three of those colors... and probably any three of them, I believe the results would have been better.

I still feel this experiment was a good one, because it shows both the versatility of the palette, and the likelihood that you will get a good result without needing much experience with blending colors. 

Overall, this palette is a great value for the money.  I like to wear pink eyeshadow, and it suits me, so I will get a lot of use out of it.  If you don't like pink, you will not like this palette, so in that case I would suggest you go with Naked over Naked 2.

Review! Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

I received a sample with another purchase, from Sephora, of Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch.  Sephora says it is "a luminizing pen that brings light and radiance to the skin, immediately erases any signs of fatigue, and brightens the complexion".  Sephora also labels this as a concealer.

I say, bullpucky.


Here, on the left is Touche Eclat in No. 4.5 on the left, Maybeline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Beige in the center, and Touche Eclat in No. 2.0 on the right.

It's foundation in a clicky pen.  When swatched on my hand, it immediately creased and settled into the fine lines.

When it dried, it got worse.

Here it is worn, before:

And after:

There isn't much difference, and there certainly isn't much coverage.  The area that it caused any improvement is there at the outer lower part of my eye.  I think the rest of my dark circles scared it and it ran away.

I cannot figure out why they say this product brings light and radiance, because it is matte.  Completely matte.  There is no dewy, no shimmer, no shine.  Just... matte.

It isn't moisturizing, so I don't see how it can lift anything, either.

Overall, I'm so glad I didn't actually pay for this, or I'd have to make a trip to return it.  Don't bother.  I'd suggest going with Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, because you'll get better coverage and a much cheaper price.

Review! Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion

I just want to start by saying that I hate it when cosmetics are given racy names.  If someone asks me what color of something I am wearing, I don't want to feel like an idiot or a hooker when I tell them.  So, had I not seen the color of this pencil (an extremely true, dark black), I would have never purchased it, based on the name alone.  Seriously, I wish cosmetics were just given descriptive names rather than something "cute" or "catchy" or whatever.  Just tell me "Absolute Black", and I'll be good.  Honestly.

Ok, so this is Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On eye Pencil in Perversion.    *sighs*  I hate the name.

This swatch ended up looking a bit odd, but I wanted to see how it handled corners.  Overall, it applied very smoothly and did not drag.  As most of the time you will be drawing a rather straight line, the swatch on the left is most important.  It applies very dark, and pure black.  There is no shine or glitter to this eyeliner.

I set the liner with Mosha Katani's Black Sea Kohl Eyeliner Pigment.  The liner stayed in place all day; which I expected.

It also stayed mostly on through a shower and face washing.  Almond oil took it right off.

I like how clean the line is, and how easy it is to apply.  A lot of drugstore pencils either have staying power, but are dry and drag the lid; or they are creamy but fade easily.    If you've never strayed from drugstore eyeliners, I do recommend trying this one.  One pencil is nearly $20, but in this case you do get what you pay for.

Here is a look I tried from another beauty blogger, Jen at From Head To Toe (here is the tutorial). 

I will re-purchase this eye pencil.